Germany's World Cup oracle octopus gets memorial

File picture shows Germany's so-called oracle octopus Paul as it swims in front of a mock soccer World Cup trophy in his tank at the Sea Life Aquarium in the western German city of Oberhausen July 12, 2010.

BERLIN (Reuters Life!) - Paul, the German octopus famous for correctly predicting each of Germany's 2010 World Cup matches, will get his own permanent memorial three months after his death.

The memorial corner will be unveiled Thursday at the Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen in western Germany, the aquarium said Tuesday.

Dubbed "Paul's Corner," the centerpiece of the memorial will be the octopus oracle's urn. Paul died aged 2-1/2 in October.

He became an international sensation this summer after he correctly predicted each of Germany's World Cup matches -- including their two losses. Paul also correctly tipped Spain to defeat Netherlands in the final.

During the height of Paul's popularity, scores of reporters and photographers crowded around the octopus' tank when he made his predictions. The picks were also broadcast on live television in Germany and across parts of Europe.

The mystic mollusc would foresee the winner of the soccer match by choosing a mussel from two transparent boxes adorned with the competitors' flags. The mussel from the box that Paul chose was considered his prediction.

Following the World Cup, marketers seized on Paul's popularity. The octopus was cast in an advert for a German supermarket and promoted England's bid for the 2018 World Cup.